Sublimating the Inner Heretic

כי תשא את ראש בני ישראל לפקדיהם ונתנו איש כפר נפשו לה ‘בפקד אתם ולא יהיה בהם נגף בפקד אתם

Though the following idea is certainly not pshat, I think the ideas are true, and touch on themes that I’ve discussed previously on this blog (like here or here). It’s in the spirit of a chassidishe toyreh:

When you elevate the head of Bnei Yisra’el, i.e., when the intellect achieves primacy within Israel, then each person must place the heretic within his soul, his inner heretic, into the service of God, as is it’s true function. Thus, the inner heretic will cause no harm, inasmuch as it carrying out its divine mission.